adams



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

T. E. ADAMS. ELECTRIC ARG LAMP.

No. 548,414. Patented 001;. 22, 1895:

61 Horne/1.3

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. E. ADAMS. ELECTRIC ARG'LAMP.

Patented Oqt. 22; 1895.

awuawto c ANDREW 3.6RAHAM. PHQTOUTHQWASHINUTON. DC.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. E. ADAMS. I ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

N0. 548,414. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. E. ADAMS. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

No. 548,414. 4 Patented Oct. 22, 1895i amvewto 1 61 How neg,

ANDREW IGRAHAM.FHMO-IJTHDWASHINGYONDC UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. ADAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ADAMS-BAGNALL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 548,414, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed July 10,1895.

To coil whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. ADAMS, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Arc Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvementin electric-arc lamps, the objects of the invention being to provide a simple and efficicnt means for switching the lamp into and out of circuit and for automatically establishing the arc; and with these ends in view the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of one construction of lamp embodying my invention, the parts being in the position they assume when no current is passing through the lamp. Fig. 2 is an en larged detached view of a portion of the regulating mechanism, showing the relative position of its parts when no current is passing through the lamp. Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the relative position of the several parts when the lamp is op erating normally in burning its carbons. Figs. a and 5 are detail views of the clutch. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the contact I.

A represents an electromagnet, which is provided with a fine-wire helix A, the ends of which are electrically connected, respectively, to the positive and negative terminals A A of the lamp, and hence the helix is in a constantly-closed shunt around the arc.

B is a coarse-wire magnet, one end of which is electrically connected with the positive terminal A of the lamp, while its opposite end is connected with the clamp C, within which is adjustably secured the carbon contact D. Clamp C, as shown, is made of two sections 5 b, which are secured at one end to a plate or support C by means of screws a a and are insulated therefrom by mica or vulca-beston washers or strips 5 while by means of a screw C extending through the outer and free Serial No. 555,554. (No model.)

ends of the clamp-sections, the carbon contact D may be readily adjusted or renewed.

E represents a plate or bracket, which is constructed with a downwardly-projecting flange e, through which are inserted screws 6 for fastening the plate to the pole F of the electromagnet. Plate or bracket E is provided with downwardly-projecting ears e between which is pivoted the armature-lever G, the latter being provided with steel bearing-points f, which engage within the countersunk openings f, formed in the ears e A screw 6 extending through both ears,

serves to draw them together and thereby adshort arm of the armature-lever is formed with a hole H, with which communicates a slot I-I, formed between the arms H By means of a screw H the diameter of the opening II may be enlarged or contracted, as desired. Within opening H is secured an ad-- j ustable carbon contact I, which is insulated from the armature-lever by means of a mica washer I.

A metallic contact J is constructed with a split sleeve J, within which is placed the contact I. Hence the contacts I and J are electrically connected with each other, while they are both insulated from the armature-lever.

K is a stationary contact, fastened to but insulated from the plate or bracket E, to which one end of a resistauce-coil or stack L is secured, while the opposite end of the resistance is connected in series with a portion only of the coarse-wire helix by means of the conductor L and conducting and connecting 5 plate U.

A clutch-rod M is pivoted at its upper end to the short arm of the armature-lever, while its lower end has secured thereto the arm of a friction-clutch M, which is constructed as zoo follows:

N is a stationary clamping-plate provided with cars 01 n, which are connected together by a rivet N. A lever N is constructed with perforated ears or lugs 773, through which pass the rivet N and by means of which the leverarm is journaled to the clutch.

O is a movable clamping plate or jaw, and is constructed with atransverse groove within which enters the rivet N, by means of which the movable jaw or plate is retained against vertical displacement. A lateral movement is imparted to jaw O by the shoulder 0 on the lever-arm N engaging a seat 0 formed on the inner side of the jaw. Seat 0' is rounded, so as to enable the movable jaw to accommodate itself to any slight irregularities on the surface of-the clutch-blade or to prevent any binding action of the parts.

When no current is passing through the lamp, the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, in which position the carbon contacts D I are in engagement, and a good contact is formed and maintained between them by the action of the armature-lever and the. weight of the armature and dash-rod piston attached to its long arm. When in this position, the carbon electrodes X X are maintainedin a separated relation by means of the weight of the armature and dash-pot piston, and a closed circuit of low resistance. shunting the carbons is formed through the coarse-wire helix 13, contacts D I, flexible con ductor O, to the negative terminal A of the lamp.

Immediately on the passage of the current through the lamp the coarse-wire helix will energize the magnet and serve to attract and draw upwardly the armature, and consequently separate the carbon contacts D I and thereby interrupt the circuit through them, with the result that an arc will be established between them; but this are will be maintained for an instant of time only, because by the operation of raising the armature the carbon electrodes are brought into contact, the circuit through which is of so much lower resistance than the circuit through the coarsewire helix and arc formed between the contacts D I that the current will be instantly diverted through the carbon electrodes X X and the arc between the contacts D I will be extinguished and the coarse-wire helix thereby open-circuited.

The carbons are, brought into contact by the action of the, weighted armature-lever, which, on being attracted and upwardly moved by the coarse-wire magnet, attains sutiicient momentum to cause it to move upwardly a distance suflicient to bring the carbons into contactand to a point above the position assumed by the armature when the carbons are burning. The carbons,after having them.

an are between the carbon electrodes the resistance of the are so produced operates to divert such an amount of current through the 'fine-wire shunt-helix as to render the electromagnet sufficiently strong to attract the armature and govern and adjust its position to correspond to the variations of resistance of the are.

The number of ampere-turns of which the fine-wire helix is composed hear such a relation to the weight and adjustment of the armature that when the arc is of normal length these two antagonistic forces counterbalance one another; but since the carbons are constantly being worn away by the action of the current and the heat of the arc and need constant adjustment the regulating mechanism of the lamp. is always acting ever so slightly and delicately as may be necessary to maintain an arc of normal length and a steady and uniform light. When the lamp is burning normally, current flows from the positive terminal A through the conducting guideblade 1 to the cross-head 2, carbon-holder 3, through the carbons X X, and from the negative carbon-holder through the guide-rod 4t and its tube 5 to the negative binding-post A while a small percentage of the total current flowing on the main line flows through the fine-wire helix. burning away of the carbons, the resistance of As the arc elongates by the I tho carbons to feed toward one another and thus shorten the arc.

The resistance of the are being decreased by its shortening is followed by a weakening of the fine-wire helix and a preponderating action of the weighted armature, which again operates or tends to operate to separate the carbons again. In this manner the carbons are adjusted and fed until they have been consumed.

In the event the carbons should fail to feed, by reason of the sticking or binding of some part of the regulating mechanism, the arc would continue to elongate, its resistance would gradually increase and the shunt-magnet would grow stronger and stronger until it had raised the armature to such a height asto haveclosed the contacts K and J, and thus established a shunt-circuit around the are comprising a portion of the coarse-wire helix, the resistance-coil or slack L in series therewith, contacts K J, and flexible conductor leading to the negativeterminalofthelamp. Ontheclosing of this cut-out circuit the current which had hitherto passed through the carbons will now be diverted through the cut-out circuit around the arc and the latter will be immediately extinguished. This safety cut-out will maintain the integrity of the main circuit and insure the continued operation of such other lamps as may be included therein. In the event the carbons of the lamp should drop into contact again after the lamp has been automatically cut out, as described, the circuit through the carbons would be of so much lower resistance than that of the safety cutout that the coarse-wire magnet would be so weakened as to be unable to longer maintain the contacts K J closed. Therefore the armature would fall and separate the carbons, with the result that the arc would again be established and would be regulated and the carbons fed in the manner already set forth.

When current ceases to pass through the lamp, due to the switching the lamp out of the circuit or to a cessation of the current in the lighting-circuit, the weighted armature will drop, and by reason of its gravity will operate to bring the carbon contacts together with such force as to insure a perfectly-good electrical contact between them.

M is a cylindrical cylinder or protector made of glass, earthenware, or any other suitable refractory material. This cylinder or shield has an open bottom and is cutaway on one side so as to form a slot m, to enable it to be placed over the contacts and when in position to be supported on the plate E. Protector M, by inclosing the contacts, effectually prevents the are from injuring any of the parts of the lamp and prevents the short-circuitiug of the current from the contacts.

I have not described in detail the construction and function of each one of the several parts of the regulating mechanism of the lamp illustrated in the drawings, because all of said features which are not herein claimed are fully shown, described, and claimed in my application, Serial No. 555,343, filed July 8, 1895, and are illustrated in the drawings of this patent for the purpose of explaining the operation of my improvement in clutches and cut-out mechanism, which form the subjectmatter of this patent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric arc lamp the combination with a pair of carbons, a coarse wire magnet, and a weighted armature constructed and arranged to maintain the carbons separated when no current is passing through the lamp, and to bring the carbons into contact by the momentum it acquires when current is sent through the coarse wire magnet, of renewable carbon-contacts for switching the main magnet into and out of circuit, one of said contacts being mounted on the weighted armature lever and the other being mounted on a stationary support, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric arc lamp the combination with a coarse wire magnet and a weighted armature for bringing the carbons into contact, of a pair of renewable carbon contacts,

one being carried by the armature lever and the other being' stationary, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the carbon contacts are separated and an arc is formed between them by means of which the integrity of the circuit including the coarse wire magnet is maintained until the carbons of the lamp have been brought into contact substantially as set forth.

' 3. In an electric arc lamp the combination with a coarse wire magnet and a weighted armature lever for bringing the carbons into contact of a pair of carbon-contacts, one be ing carried by the weighted armature lever and the other being stationary and a flexible conductor electrically connecting the armature lever and negative terminal of the lamp, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric arc lamp the combination with the fine wire magnet and weighted ar mature lever acting in opposition thereto, of a coarse wire helix, a pair of carbon contacts the movable member being mounted on the armature lever, a resistance included in series with a portion of the coarse wire helix and a conductor electrically connecting the movable contact with the negative terminal of the lamp, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric arc lamp the combination with a coarse wire-magnet and weighted armature lever for maintaining the carbons normally separated and forbringing the carbons into contact by the momentum of the weighted armature lever when current is sent through the lamp, of a fine wire magnet acting in opposition to the weighted armature lever for regulating the feed of the carbons, and a pair of adjustable carbon contacts included with the coarse wire magnet in a circuit around the arc, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric arc lamp the combination with an armature lever, one end of which is constructed to form an adjustable clamp, of a detachable carbon secured in said clamp, and an insulating washer encircling the carbon, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric arc lamp, the combination with a stationary contact and a contact carried by and insulated from the armature lever, of a cut out circuit comprising a portion of the coarse wire helix and a resistance in series therewith, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric arc lamp,a friction clutch consisting in the combination ofa clamping plate or jaw provided with laterally projecting ears or side walls and with a pivotal pin connecting the outer ends of said ears or sides, and a lever pivotally mounted on said pivotal pin, of an adjustable clamping plate or shoe constructed with an open slot for the reception of the pivotal pin, and provided with a shouldered bearing with which engages a shoulder formed on the lever, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with the clamping plate and lever pivoted thereto, said lever being pro vided with a shoulder located above its piv- In testimony whereof I have signed this otal bearing, of a clamping plate or shoe, conspecification in the presence of two subscribstrueted and arranged to have a movement ing Witnesses.

independent of that of the lever, and provided THOMAS E. ADAMS. 5 With rounded seat against which bears the WVitnesses:

shoulder on the lever, substantially as set R. S. FERGUSON,

forth. S. W. FOSTER. 

